Monday, April 14, 2014

Alabama's First Library, Books and Printing

Alabama's
oldest operating library is now known as the Huntsville Madison County PublicLibrary. An effort to open a library began in 1817 when the city was still part
of the Mississippi Territory. Records show that on December 10th of the following
year, William Atwood purchased two shares of stock in the Huntsville Library
Company. Thomas G. Percy was listed as President and Robert Fearn as Treasurer.
In the following year, during the assembly called to form the State of Alabama,
James G. Birney gave notice that he would ask to incorporate the Huntsville
Library Company.

Printed books and printing itself
arrived even earlier. In July 1540 Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his
expedition entered what is now Alabama; among their supplies were some books. All
were burned in the battle of Maubila on October 18. The two most extensive
accounts of the expedition describe the destruction by de Soto's men of many of
their own supplies as they tried to trap Native American forces. The burning
included clothes, ornaments and chalices, wafer molds and wine for mass. The
books destroyed may have been mostly religious in nature.

Hernando de Soto [1496-1542]Source: Wikipedia

In September 1807 a political
pamphlet was published at Wakefield, a town in Washington County that no longer
exists. On February 19 of that year former vice-president Aaron Burr was
arrested in Wakefield as he attempted to flee to Spanish West Florida and
escape President Jefferson's warrant.

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About Me

When not searching for the secret of the universe, I do research and writing on Alabama and/or medical history. I write poetry now and then. Spending time with my wife Dianne and children Amos and Becca is also important. And then there are the cats....